Razor-blade-sharpening machine



Sept. 7, 192m 1,599,236

J. HOLTZMAN RAZOR BLADE SHARPENING MACHINE Filed May 27. 1921 arm 7 7INVENTOR W ATTDRNEY Patented Sept. 7, 1926.

gQUNITED STATE r "1,599,236 PATENT orrrclaa- JOHN HQLTZMAN, on NEW YORK,n. Y., 'As'smnon or ONE-HALF To BENJAMIN I ROMAN, or new YORK, v. 2.

nAzon-enAnn-snaarnmne MACHINE.

Application filed May 27,

This invention relates to razor blade sharpening machines andparticularly to the type that is utilized for sharpening doubleedgedflexible safety-razor blades, such as are used in connection with thewell known Gillette razors.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simplified,inexpensive, conveniently and economically manufacturable, convenientlyoperable and utilizable', light, compact, strong, durable,eflicient andimproved razor-blade sharpening machine of the above mentionedcharacter.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear. a

In the accompanying drawings,-

Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional elevation of ihe razor-blade sharpeningmachine.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the ma chine shown in Fig.1.

Figs. 3 and 4 show details of the machine.

bearings 6 of the casing 7 of the machine,

' whereby the roll 2 isfree to rotate in any direction. Directly underthe roll 2is located a drive-shaft 8, which is rotatably mounted inbearings 9 of casing 7 and-to the shaft 8 is secured a cranl: 10 andhandle 11, whereby revolving of the crank in either direction willfreely rotate said drive-shaft accordingly. A pinion 12 is keyed uponthe axle 1, an idler-gear 13 is mounted upon a stud 14 secured to thewall of casing 7, and 'a pair of similar gear-segments 15, 16 are keyedupon the drive-shaft 8 and are thereon disposed opposite to each otherin the manner shown. The idler 13is inccnstant mesh with the pinion 12,the gearsegment le alternately meshes with and unmeshes from the pinion12, and the gearsegment 16 similarly meshes withjand un-' meshes fromthe idler 13. As the crank 10,

therefore. is revolved in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, thegear-segment 15 meshes with the pinion 12, and, due tothe ratios oftheir diameters, rotates it together with the roll 2 two revolutions inthe direc- 1921. j Serial 1%. 473,052.

tion of the arrow. At the end of these two revolutions, the. gear 15unmeshes from the pinion l2, and simultaneously the gear-segment 16commences to mesh with the idler 13 and tl'ierethrough transmits areverse rotation to the pinion 12, which thereby rotates together withthe roll 2 two revol.utions in'an opposite direction to that of thearrow. As the revolving of the crank 10 is continued, this operation ofthe roll 12 is thus continuously repeated, viz., the roll performs tworotations in the direction of the arrow, then two rotations in anopposite direction, then again two rotations in the direction of thearrow and two rotations ba'ckwardly, etc.

Above the roll 2 is located a blade-holder 17, which is rotatablymounted in bearings 18, 19 Fig. 4, of the casing 7. Said bladeholdercomprises a shaft 20, the extremities" 21, 22 of which are journaled insaid bearings 18, 19 respectively, a cut-out flattened 7 portion 23, anda bar 24'which is pivoted to the shaft 20 at 25 and has an extremity 26which fits into a recess 27 formed in the shaft-journal 22. Thedouble-edged flexible safety-razor blade 28, which is to be sharp-=ened, is inserted into the blade-holder l7 and held thereby, by meansof' placing it upon the fiat face 23, of shaft 20, with its openings.29, that are provided in the FGillette type blades, slipping over apair of pins 30 projecting'from the shaft-face 23, and then the bar 24may be swung about its pivot 25 to a position against the blade.,asshown. The bar 24 is securely locked in place by means'of its extremity26 passing through a guide-slot 31, formed in the casing 7, andintothe-recess 27 of shaft-journal 22, and a strap 32' pivoted at 33 passingover said journal to complete the break in the bearing 19 produced bythe slot 31. When the bar 24 is in the locked position shown, the pins30 pass into recesses 34 formed therein. To remove the blade 28 from itsholder 17 it merely requires swing ing back the strap 32 to release thebar extremity 26 and then swinging the bar 24 upwardly about its pivot25. 7

Upon the blade-holder shaft-20 iskeyed a star-wheel 35 that comprises apair of oppositely disposed gear-sectors 36, 37 and a pair of oppositelydisposed cam portions tween the gear-sectors 36,37, and upon the 38,39that are located intermediately be roll axle 1 is keyed a cam-wheelprovided with a gear-sector 41 which is located opposite to themutilated portion 5 of the sharpening roll 2. As the roll 2 performs itsrotation in the direction of the arrow its shoulder 42, which issuitably configurated, strikes the blade 28 and flexes it in the mannershown, thereby causing i'ts'edge 48 to land upon the roll and to exertpressure of its edge-side 44 against its periphery, so that as the rollrotates it effectively sharpens this edgeside. During this sharpeningoperation, the blade 28 is maintained fixed, in the operative positionshown, by the camportion 38 of star-wheel 35 bearing against theperiphery of the cam-wheel 40. When the cam portion 38 and wheel 40 arethus in engagement with each other they maintain the unflexed portion ofthe blade radially to the axial center-line of the roll, but perferablya clearance is provided, between said cam-portion and wheel, whichpermits disposition of the blade 28 at an angle from perpendicularity,as shown, in order to bring the edge-side 44 into proper sharpeningtangency with the roll 2 without unduly flexing the blade. Uponcompletion of the first full revolution of the roll 2 the gear sector 41meshes with the gear-sector 36 and imparts to the wheel 35 half arevolution, bringing its cam-portion 39 in engagement .with the Wheel40. This reverses the blade 28 and causes itsopposite portion 45 to beflexed, in the above described manner, thereby sub eCting its diagonallyopposite edgeside 48 to operative sharpenlng pressure against theroll-periphery, so that, as the roll rotates, it effectively sharpensthis side.

In its reversal, the blade 28 is not obstructed by the roll 2, due tothe blade-portion 45' passing through the mutilated portion 5 of theroll. At the completion of the second revolution of the roll 2, itsrotation is reversed, as above described, in a direction opposite tothat of the arrow; and at the commencement of the third revolution thegearsector 41 meshes with the gear-sector 37 and thereby imparts anapproximately quarter revolution to the blade holder and bringing theblade-portion 45 back into the mutilated portion 5 of the roll. As theroll 2 now performs its third rotation in an opposite direction, itsshoulder 42 which is configurated similarly to the shoulder 42 strikesthe blade and flexes it in an opposite direct-ion from that shown,whereby its edgeside 46 is brought to exert pressure against theroll-periphery and the roll sharpens this edge-side as it rotates. Atthe commencement of the fourth revolution of the roll 2 the blade isagain reversed and its fourth edge-side 47 is brought to bear againstthe roll-periphery, and as the roll performs its fourth revolution itaccordingly sharpens this edge-side effectively. I

It will be evident that for each full revolution imparted-to theoperating crank 10, the roll 2 will sharpen each of the edge-sides 44,48, 46, 47 of the blade 28 successively, and as the revolving of thecrank is continued the sharpening of all the four sides of the two edgesof the blade is continuously repeated, until the razor-blade thus ecomescompletely and eiiiciently sharpened. When the sharpening of therazorblade is completed, the same may be readily removed from themachine and another blade may be inserted in the holder 17, and asimilar sharpening operation may be performed thereupon. It will beevident that any other type of blade-holder may be here utilized inplace of the blade-holder 17 illustrated in Figs. 3, 4. 7

It will be noted that this machine is universal in its operation, inthat, after mounts ing the blade in the holder 17, the crank 10 may berevolved in either direction for perforn'iing the sharpening operation.But if it is desired that the crank should be operated in one directiononly, the same can'be readily done by simply providing that the crank besecured to the drive-shaft 8 by means of the thread 49, in which case,if revolving of the crank in an anti-clockwise direction should beattempted, it would unthread itself without affecting the machine in anyway. When operating the machine the same may be either held entirely inone hand and its crank turned with the other hand, or the machine may beheld against a table in the position shown or placed upon a table withone of its sides 50 thereagainst. The upper portion of the casing 7 ispreferably formed as a cover 51, which is hinged to the remainder of thecasing at 52.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention andportions of the improvements may-be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim i 1 1. A sharpening machinefor doubleedged razor blades having the combination of a rotatablesharpening roll, a blade holder, a drive shaft, mechanism to rotate saidroll alternately in opposite directions while said shaft is driven inone direction, and said mechanism actuating said blade holder to disposethe four edge-sides of the blade to said roll; said mechanism includinga pair of gear-segments, a pinion driven by one of said segments torotate said roll, and a pinion driven by the other of said segments torotate said former pinion to rotate the roll inan opposite direction. I

2. A sharpening machine for doubleedged razor blades having thecombination of a sharpening element, a blade holder, a drive-shaft,mechanism to actuate said element alternately in opposite directionswhile said shaft is driven in one direction, and said mechanismactuating said blade holder to dispose the four edge-sides of the bladeto said element; said mechanism including a pair of gear-segments, apinion driven by one of said segments to actuate said element, and apinion driven by the other segment to rotate said former pinionto'actuate said element in an opposite direction.

3. A sharpening machine for razor blades havingthe combination of asharpening roll, a blade holder, a drive-shaft mechanism to rotate saidroll alternately in opposite directions while said shaft is driven inone direction, said mechanism actuating said blade holder to dispose theedge-sides of the blade to said roll, and said mechanism including apair of gear segments, a pinion driven by one of said segments to rotatesaid roll, and a pinion driven by the other of said segments to rotatesaid former pinion to rotate the roll in an opposite direction.

4. A sharpening machine for razor blades having the combination of asharpening element, a blade holder, a drive-shaft, mechanism to actuatesaid element alternately in V opposite directions While said shaft isdriven in one direction, said mechanism actuating said blade holder todispose the edge-sides of the blade to said element, and said mechanismincluding a pair of gear-segments, a pinion driven by one of saidsegments to actuate said element, and a pinion driven by the othersegment to actuate said element in.

an opposite direction.

5. A razor blade sharpener having the combination of a rotatablesharpening roll, means to hold the blade in operative sharpeningposition, a drive-shaft, mechanism for rotating said roll being adaptedto rotate the roll in opposite directions. While said shaft is revolvedin one direction; said ,mechanism including a pair of gear-segments onsaid shaft, a pinion on said roll meshing With one of saidgear-segments, and an idler gear meshing with said pinion and the otherof said segments.

6. A razor blade sharpener having the combination ofa sharpening roll,blade holding means, a drive shaft, and mecha- JOHN HOLTZMAN.

